When we are having a hard time navigating healthcare systems and situations, we can consider asking others for their perspectives.
Brainstorming solutions with folks who have similar or shared experiences can help us know what to do. We can do this with people we know. We can also consider hosting community groups and discussions.
Asking for Support
Going to appointments can often be very stressful. Asking for help from people we trust is one way to support ourselves. Here are some ideas we have come up with.
When we are scheduling appointments, we can ask someone to sit with us as we call or to read over our emails before we send them
We can ask someone to drive us to and/or pick us up from our appointment
We can also ask others to come with us for physical, emotional, and advocacy support. This can depend on our comfort levels, the clinic rules, and peoples’ schedules. It can be nice to have someone there to distract us, help us remember what to ask our practitioners, to witness interactions, and more.
For many of us, it can be a process of trial and error to find people who can support us with our appointments. Here are some questions that might help us figure out who to ask:
How comfortable do I feel around this person?
How does this person contribute to my sense of safety?
What shared experiences and identities do we have?
How politicized is this person? Do we align in our values?
How might this person be able to support me?
Do I have any concerns about asking this person to come with me?
